Category: Detoxification

In the modern medical era, atherosclerosis—the buildup of plaque within arterial walls—remains a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. While standard treatments, such as statins, antihypertensives, and lifestyle modifications, have significantly improved outcomes, they do not reverse existing plaque or address certain environmental factors that contribute to vascular disease. Emerging research suggests that EDTA chelation therapy, long relegated to the periphery of cardiovascular medicine, may offer untapped potential, particularly for patients with diabetes and established coronary artery disease. What Is EDTA Chelation Therapy? Chelation therapy involves the intravenous administration of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a synthetic amino acid that binds to heavy metals and minerals in the bloodstream. Once bound, these complexes are excreted through the urine. Originally developed to treat lead poisoning, EDTA has gained interest in cardiology due to its unique vascular effects. How Chelation May Work Against Atherosclerosis EDTA chelation offers several biologically plausible mechanisms by which it may reduce atherosclerotic burden and prevent cardiovascular events: Reduction in Heavy Metal Load Toxic metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium are independently associated with increased cardiovascular risk. EDTA has a high affinity for these metals, and studies have demonstrated a significant reduction in body burden after therapy. Removing...

Chelation therapy is an underappreciated treatment. That is probably because it is not marketed on social media. It is also not new. In fact, there is data on chelation therapy that goes back to the 1980s. There are 281 articles in the medical literature on chelation for cardiovascular disease alone! This article is a quick summary of some of the evidence supporting chelation. Here’s a list of studies supporting various aspects of chelation therapy, focusing on its use for heavy metal detoxification, cardiovascular health, and other health benefits. While some studies show promising results, it's important to note that chelation therapy is still an area of ongoing research. Heavy Metal Detoxification "Chelation therapy for lead poisoning: efficacy and safety" (2011) This study reviewed the use of chelation agents like EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) in treating lead poisoning. It concluded that chelation is an effective method for removing lead from the body, especially in cases of acute lead exposure. Source: American Journal of Therapeutics. "Mercury toxicity and treatment with chelating agents" (2014) This study looked into how chelation therapy can help reduce mercury levels in the body. It showed that agents like DMSA (dimercaptosuccinic acid) could effectively reduce mercury concentrations and alleviate...

We go to great lengths to protect children today from lead exposure but what about the children of the past? People born before 1990, and especially those born between the 1960s and 1980s, are likely to have experienced significantly higher levels of lead exposure due to the widespread use of leaded gasoline during that period. Lead does not break down quickly resulting in lead persisting in our environment. Researchers published the results of a study in 2022 that estimated that as many or more than 170 million older Americans were exposed to high lead levels at five times over the acceptable blood lead limit now in place. They speculated this high lead exposure potentially impacted their cognitive development throughout their lives since even small amounts of lead exposure during childhood can have lasting negative effects on brain function. Lead Exposure in Drinking Water The widespread use of lead pipes to deliver drinking water to homes is also becoming a major health concern. Major cities, including Denver, have obtained grants from the federal government to replace water service lines—the pipe that brings water into the home from the water main in the street. These water service lines can potentially contain lead,...

In her ground-breaking article published in March 1997, Dr. Claudia Miller at the University of Texas at San Antonio coined the term “toxicant-induced loss of tolerance” (TILT). This refers to those suffering from multiple chemical sensitivities who have become sensitive to almost everything in their environment. She discovered that chemical sensitivity is the consequence of a two-step process: 1) loss of tolerance in susceptible persons following exposure to various toxicants, and 2) triggering of symptoms by extremely small quantities of previously tolerated chemicals, drugs, foods, and food and drug combinations including caffeine and alcohol. Through her research, Dr. Miller concluded that although chemical sensitivity may be the consequence of this process, the term toxicant-induced loss of tolerance more clearly describes this process. In a subsequent paper published by Dr. Miller in 2021, she reported the link between exposure to common chemicals and unexplained chronic illnesses. For the first time, a mechanism was found for how and why TILT occurs in some people. Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance The 2021 study that Dr. Miller reported on included the following exposures: Employees at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters after new carpeting was installed Gulf War veterans Casino workers exposed to pesticides Pilots and...

Recently, I have been fielding a lot of questions about heavy metals in chocolate (often referred to as heavy toxins). Food safety can be a depressing topic. Rice has arsenic, most fish contain mercury (some more than others), shrimp have arsenic, leafy greens take up cadmium from the soil, about 30% of the tap water in the US contains lead, and many foods are contaminated with pesticides, molds, and other heavy metals. As many of you have heard, some brands of chocolate tested by Consumer Reports contained alarming levels of lead and cadmium. “Consumer reports tested 28 dark chocolate bars for lead and cadmium. To determine the risk posed by the chocolates in CR’s test, we used California's maximum allowable dose level (MADL) for lead (0.5 micrograms) and cadmium (4.1mcg)” You can ask a chocolate company to provide third-party testing to see the lead and cadmium levels.  Because there are no federal limits on the amount of lead and cadmium that foods may contain, scientists at Consumer Reports used California’s maximum allowable dose level. They did this because they felt as though it was the most scientifically valid. Rather than list all the brands including the levels of lead and...